In the lick of time
There are so many wonderful blessings to remember from this last week. Woody and Barbara Blalock came to the church services last Sunday. I coerced Woody to read the Scripture for us and pray as he had done many times before they moved to Oklahoma. You know I didn't really have to do any arm-twisting.
Sunday evening we viewed the first set of slides from Israel. I say the first set because in the past we tried to cram a whole month of photos into one evening. This year we've created smaller segments that we'll show once a month through August (or maybe even September). We appreciated the kind comments about hearing more explanation about the sites and locations as well as reading a key Scripture passage with a few of the slides. Our next presentation is June 1 at 6:00 PM. If you are close by, you're always welcome to come!
Many long nights have preceded this weekend working on the students' memory DVD of the Israel trip. There just might be a ray of light off in the horizon, I do hope I am nearing the end of this project. I had hoped to be done so that the DVD could be distributed at the reunion Saturday, May 10. I hope they are not disappointed that it won't be done just yet. An unexpected possible by-product from the "segmented" presentations we started last Sunday night is that the audio of Pastor Rigsby's commentary can be added to the slides and that could be made into a DVD—for you, if you were interested! We'll see what happens in the next few months.
If you read the prayer items, you saw that Pauline Kirkwood died on Friday, May 9. Ken and Jean Kirkwood were on the road, in New Mexico, when they were called. I know you will want to be praying for them, the family, and their friends as they grieve. I had to look this up, and found it almost unbelievable that nearly four years ago Chester passed. Has it really been that long? In September of this year Pauline would have turned 88 years old. Faithful servants are not easily replaced. Actually, faithful servants are never replaced. What a blessing Chester and Pauline were to this church, this community, and their family and friends. While we sorrow at this sad news, we lean on the hope the Scriptures give us, because they are the very words of Jesus Christ. What is that hope? Pauline is in the presence of the Lord. She is alive, free from the diseases that ravaged her body, and she is released from the bondage and presence of sin! That hope includes us, too. One day, we shall behold Him, we shall be with Him (and that cloud of witnesses that surround us); and we shall be like Him!
Not only is Sunday Mother's Day, this year it is also Pentecost Sunday. In the Church calendar, fifty days ago, Jesus rose from the dead, guaranteeing the resurrection of our glorified bodies one day. The week after Resurrection Sunday, I set out to study I Corinthians 15 (Paul's extensive chapter on "why should I believe in the resurrection?"). I also used that study as the basis for the lessons with the Korean youth. If all goes according to plan, this Sunday we'll conclude our study in that chapter. I didn't realize until last week (now that I was nearly finished) that liturgical churches designate these seven weeks after Easter to focus on the resurrection and its continuing effects. It's too bad that this period of time is not as emphasized like other periods, such as Lent or Advent. The bottom line is that the entirety of our faith hangs on Jesus Christ's atoning work and His resurrection. These comprise the cornerstone of all that we believe.
Saturday I was at the Getty Museum's Roman Villa part of the day with one of our Bible Lands teachers, Gordon Franz and the Rigsbys. This is an appropriate place to visit in preparation for studying the Greek and Roman culture that permeates the New Testament time period. Saturday evening the students from this year's Israel trip will gather for a time of reunion (can't get enough of a good thing). Why am I telling you this? Because even with these additional events I got the paper bulletin in the mail before the postage rates go up on Monday, May 12th — "in the lick of time!"
